No Way Out
by Little Miss Annie
Summary: "Run!" That's all she could think about. Will she be able to escape? One-shot inspired by a photo (cover).


The day was coming to an end. She could feel the cold beginning to creep in her bones, but she didn't care. She couldn't stop. She kept running as if her life depended on it, because it did. If he catches her, she didn't even want to think what he would do to her.

She had been taken while on a grocery run. Jack was still at school and his dad was working, so she wasn't in any rush. But as she walked out of the store, she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Jack's dad always told her to trust her instincts and that's what she did. She walked fast to her car but while she is putting the bags in the car as fast as possible, she felt a cloth being pressed against her mouth and nose. She tried struggling but the man was stronger than her and soon she was out cold. Next thing she remembers she is tied to a chair and that's where she stayed for the next two weeks.

She could hear his footsteps running behind her, but still somewhat far way. She had to keep running. It wasn't easy, after all she had been restrained for 2 weeks. When she began running her legs started burning within the first few meters, but she just kept running. It didn't matter where, as long as it was far away from him. Her whole body ached, he had been cutting and beating her every day since he took her. He called her names and cursed at her. To him, she was nothing, just someone to take his anger out and did he take his anger out on her.

Every night he would come to the small cabin and started by pulling her hair and calling her names, making sure he had her attention. Then he would go to his work bench and chose one of the many sharp objects that stood in plain sight, as if she needed a reminder of the things he would do to her with those. After he was satisfied with the tool he chose, always some sort of blade, he would choose a part of her body and started cutting, not deep enough that would kill her but deep enough to hurt like hell. Then, as the blood would drip from her wounds to the floor, he would beat her, yelling at her, telling that she was a whore and a bitch. He would hit her over and over again, until the only sound that could be heard would be her ragged breath.

She stopped behind a tree, listening, trying to hear where he was, if he was close. When she didn't hear anything, she started running again. She was scared, her most recent cuts bleeding, her body screaming at her to stop, new cuts from the tree branches stinging, but she couldn't. She had to keep running. She needed to find something, someone who could help her. Another cabin, the road, hunters, something to tell her that she was going to be okay.

It was a lucky break that made her able to escape. After one of her beatings, he forgot the blade he had use that night on the floor close to where she was. After he left for the day, which was common, she tried tilting her chair towards the blade. It took her a few tries, but she managed. Unfortunely, the blade was still far away. It took all her strength, which wasn't much, and almost all day to get to the blade, but she did it. After a couple of tries, she was able to cut the ropes that were binding her to the chair. As she is walking, carefully, through the door to make her escape, she heard the unmistakable sound of his truck engine. That's when she started to run.

She wondered if Jack's dad had picked him up from school when she didn't show up. She wondered if he tried calling her to find out where she was. She wondered what he had told Jack about her being missing. She wondered if anyone was looking for her. It hurt to know that Jack was gonna go through that again, he had already lost his mother to a psychopath, she was not going to let him lose her too.

She was losing her breath, she was losing her strength, she needed to stop. Almost like an answered prayer, she stumbles across some steps. It looked like the entrance to an old building that was long gone, the only thing standing was those steps and a column to the right side of the steps. The entire path was semi-covered in dried branches. She decided to take the risk and stop for a minute to catch her breath. She thought that, if those ruins were there, there had to be a road close by. She sat down on the steps, the only sounds being the cold wind hushing through the branches and her ragged breath.

As she's collecting her thoughts and her strength, she heard footsteps approaching. She stood up in a hurry, but a bit of moss made her slip and fall down the three steps, twisting her ankle in the process. She gingerly stood up, coming face to face with the man she wished she would escape. He was mad, his face contorted in a maniac grin mixed with anger. She looked around for something to defend herself. If she was going down, she was going down swinging.

She didn't hear a new set of footsteps coming from behind her. She didn't hear a gun cocking. All she heard was a voice screaming her name and to hit the ground. And hit the ground she did. That's when she heard his voice. That's when she saw his face. That's when relief flooded over her. She was safe. Tears gather in her eyes, sobs making their way out of her mouth as she cried of relief. He had found her. She was going home. She was going to see Jack again. She was safe.

It had been two long weeks, but he finally found her. She was hurt, beat up, tired, starving, dehydrated but she was alive. He couldn't stop the tears in his eyes when he saw the look of relief and hope in her eyes and face. Nothing else mattered. She was safe.

She thought she had no way out, but now... Well, now she was safe.


End file.
